CLASSICCOCKTAILS

This is probably my favorite refreshing summer cocktail. Served over ice in a gin glass or up in a champagne flute, it is perfect to drink outdoors in the sun!

1.5 oz Aperol

1.5 oz Prosecco

2 oz Soda Water

Add Aperol and Prosecco to flute or gin glass. Top with soda water and garnish with an orange slice.

This Bloody Mary is the ultimate hangover cure, and the perfect drink for day drinking! As much as I love trying new Bloody Mary mixes, making it without is just as delicious and way more satisfying! Add a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce to make it spicy!

2 oz vodka

4 oz tomato juice

half a lemon

4 dashes Worcestershire sauce

1 oz pickle juice

Rim glass with celery salt or tajin. Fill glass with ice and add all ingredients. Stir with spoon and enjoy!

This Gin and Tonic uses Hendrick’s gin, which is known for having notes of rose and cucumber. The fresh cucumber ribbons really bring out the flavors of the gin!

2 oz gin 

4 oz tonic water

1 cucumber cut into ribbons

Lemon slice

Create cucumber ribbons using a vegetable peeler. Stick the cucumber to the edge of a gin glass and keep in place with ice. Add gin and tonic to the glass and garnish with lemon.

This cocktail has  received so many compliments including "best cocktail I’ve had all year.”  The sweetness/tartness of the lilikoi juice complements the spiciness of the ginger beer beautifully.  To make it extra authentic, use a Hawaiian vodka like Pau Hana!

Exact recipe is top secret! 

I first tried this cocktail when staying at an all inclusive resort in the Dominican Republic. The way they made it was with coconut cream and it was so perfectly sweet , tropical, and delicious that I had to try to recreate it at home!

1.5 oz brandy or gin

1.5 oz creme de cacao

1.5 oz coconut cream

Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into glass. Top with grated nutmeg.

This Negroni variation is a little lighter than the classic, making it perfect for the summer!  I substituted Lillet for the more traditional sweet vermouth, and added a splash of tonic water. 

1.5 oz gin

1 oz Campari

1.5 oz Lillet

Splash tonic water

Orange Slice

Fill glass with ice and add all ingredients. Stir to mix.

Whenever I see this drink on the cocktail menu,  I know I have to order it! I love gin based cocktails and this is one of my absolute favorites. The herbaceous Green Chartreuse melds flawlessly with the Maraschino liqueur to create a delicate yet aromatic drink that packs a punch!

1 oz gin

1 oz luxardo maraschino liqueur

1 oz chartreuse

1 oz lime juice

Add all ingredients to cocktail shaker with lots of ice. Shake and strain into martini glass. 

I first had this cocktail in Japan,  where you get a glass filled with ice, shochu, and seltzer, and half a lemon on the side complete with a juicer! When I make it at home, I usually substitute the shochu for vodka since I always have that on hand. To create this particular version, I used vodka that I had infused with fresh blackberries to  produce this vibrant color. You can also substitute the lemon for any other citrus, my second favorite being grapefruit.

2 oz vodka , shochu, or soju

juice from half a lemon

4 oz soda water

Fill glass with ice. Add vodka, fresh squeezed lemon juice, and top with soda water. Garnish with lemon.

This cocktail was recently introduced to me by Nathan, the wonderful photographer who took all the photos in this collection! It instantly became a household favorite because it is so simple to make yet so delicious!  The original recipe calls for bourbon, but I always make it with rye whisky instead which makes it a little more savory.

1.5 oz Aperol

1.5 oz Nonino Amaro

1.5 oz bourbon or rye

1.5 oz lemon juice

Add all ingredients to cocktail shaker with lots of ice. Strain into coupe or martini glass.

I am completely obsessed with any cocktail made with egg white. It makes the drink so creamy and creates a beautiful layer of foam on the top of the drink. For this pretty pink version, I used guava juice instead of simple syrup.

1.5 oz Pisco

1 oz lime juice

1 oz guava juice

1 egg white

Add all ingredients to cocktail shaker with lots of ice. Strain into glass. If you prefer, you can dry shake your egg whites before adding the rest of the ingredients, or whisk with an immersion blender.